Construction for blackboards and the like



Jan. 16, 1968 F. R. GLASSMAN 3,363,341

CONSTRUCTION FOR BLACKBOARDS AND THE LIKE Filed March 8, 1965 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK R. GLASSMAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,363,341 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 3,363,341 CONSTRUCTION FOR BLACKBOARDS AND THE LIKE Frederick R. Glassman, 703 Benefit St., Pawtucket, RI. 02861 Filed Mar. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 437,938 Claims. (Cl. 3565) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A blackboard having a frame therearound with means on said frame for detachably and slidably receiving a separate tray, said frame further having means for detachably receiving a specially designed hanger for use when it is desired to suspend the blackboard from a wall surface.

The present invention relates generally to a novel and improved construction for blackboards and the like, and is particularly concerned with means whereby a chalk tray may be detachably associated with the blackboard.

Although the instant invention is of primary utility in connection with a blackboard construction, it will be understood that the basic and salient concepts of this invention are equally applicable to any bulletin-type board having a frame therearound and wherein it is desirable to associate a tray therewith for maintaining some sort of writing devices in convenient accessibility. Accordingly, although reference is hereinafter made to blackboards in the specification and claims, it will be understood that this reference is illustrative and not limiting.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of a construction for blackboards or the like wherein the tray member associated with the blackboard may be detachably mounted to the frame of the blackboard and, once so mounted, may be slidably moved with respect thereto.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a blackboard and tray assembly wherein the tray may be detachably mounted to the frame for the blackboard without the necessity of using any special tools or equipment, thus enabling the blackboard and tray to be disassembled during shipment, whereby a considerable saving in space may be efliected.

A further object is the provision of a blackboard or the like having a frame extending therearound, and a tray adapted to be detachably secured to said frame at any desired edge of the blackboard.

Another important object of this invention is the provision of a construction for blackboards or the like of the character above described having novel and improved means for vertically suspending the blackboard assembly.

Another object is the provision of a blackboard construction that is durable in use, economically feasible to manufacture, less expensive to ship, and easier to suspend from a vertical surface for use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blackboard construction embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a blackboard assembly constructed in accordance with the instant invention is illustrated generally at 10. Generally, the blackboard comprises a frame 12, a board 14, and a tray 16 for receiving chalk and the like. As will be seen most clearly in FIG. 1, the board 14 is preferably, but not necessarily, of rectangular configuration, and the frame 12 extends completely around the periphery of board 14. Specifically, the frame 12 comprises four separate strips, each strip adapted to be secured to one edge of the board 14, the strips being mitered at their corners as at 18 in a wellknown manner in order to provide a complete rectangular frame.

Each strip of frame 12 comprises a channel having a front wall 20 and a spaced rear wall 22 joined by a bottom wall 24 gently rounded at its rear edge as at 26. As will be seen most clearly in FIG. 2, the walls 20 and 22 snugly receive therebetween the edge of board 14, and said walls have inwardly extending projections 28, 30, on

- which the marginal edge of board 14 is positioned in order to maintain the marginal edge of said board in spaced relation with respect to end wall 24. Front wall 20 is further characterized by a forwardly extending bead 32, which actually may be a continuation of end wall 24, said bead extending completely across each strip, and hence completely around the entire frame 12. Rear wall 22 is provided with a rearwardly extending bead 34, said bead being spaced from end wall 24 and also extending completely across each strip and hence completely around the frame 12.

Each strip of the frame 12 is preferably constructed of extruded aluminum, although other materials, such as plastic, could also be employed, it being understood that even if the strips are made of plastic, they still readily lend themselves to manufacture by extrusion. Purely for ornamental purposes, the surface of front wall 20 may be grooved or corrugated as shown at 36. As hereinbefore indicated, the four strips that make up the frame 12 are mitered at their corners so as to provide a complete and continuous rectangular frame for the board 14, it being understood that the frame is secured to board 14 by any suitable means, such as by cementing, or by having the board a press fit within each frame channel, or the like.

The tray 16 comprises a fiat surface having an upturned forward edge 38 and a rearwardly and upwardly extending wall 40 terminating in an inturned lip 42. An upwardly and rearwardly extending rib 44 extends across the tray 16, it being understood that the rib 44 is adapted to snap over the bead 32, while at the same time the inturned lip 42 snaps over the rear bead 34, thus detachably snapping the tray 16 onto the frame 12. It is important to note that the tray 16 is rounded at its rear corner, as at 46, in order to conform to the rounded corner 26 of frame 12. This rounded configuration facilitates the detachable securement of tray 16 to the frame 12 since after the rib 44 is hooked over the bead 32, the tray 16 may be swung or pivoted in a clockwise direction until lip 42 snaps over the bead 34. Once the tray 16 has been so assembled, the rigidity of the material used in the manufacture of the tray will determine the facility with which it may be detached. More specifically, where the tray is of aluminum, and the frame 12 is of like material, the securement of the tray 16 to the frame 12 is an extremely rigid and strong one, although the parts may be detached if some degree of force is exercised. On the other hand, where the parts are of a more flexible material, such as plastic, the detachment of tray 16 with respect to frame 12 is more easily accomplished. In either event, once the tray 16 is assembled to the frame in the manner aforedescribed, it is free for slidable movement therealong; whereupon the tray may be positioned at any desired relative position with respect to the strip of frame 12 on which it is mounted.

The extreme facility with which the tray 16 may be secured to frame 12 is important for a number of reasons. First of all, this arrangement enables the blackboard and tray to be shipped in disassembled relation, thus effecting an extremely great saving in packing space, which in turn results in a pronounced economic saving. Also, by being able to pack and ship the blackboard and tray disassembled, there is far less likelihood of damage to the tray, than is the case where the tray is packaged and shipped with the tray assembled to the blackboard and protruding therefrom. In addition, if for any reason it is desired to use the blackboard so that its longer edges are vertically disposed, this may easily be done, and the tray is then attached to one of the shorter strips of the frame 12 in the same manner as aforedescribed. In this connection, it is important to note that the length of tray 16 must be less than the length of any of the strips that make up the frame 12.

As a further feature of the instant invention, means are provided for facilitating suspension of the blackboard when it is desired to use it by suspending it from a suitable surface. The means for effecting this suspension comprise a hanger element 48 which is constructed of elongated metallic wire, said wire being looped at its upper portion to form an eye 50, the free ends of the wire then extending downwardly to form a pair of spaced divergent arms 52 that terminate with inturned leg portions 54. In order to receive the hanger 48, the end wall 24 of frame 12 is provided with a pair of spaced openings 56, the spacing between said openings being substantialy equal to the spacing between the lowermost divergent portions of arms 52 when the hanger is in its normal position. The end wall 24 is depressed as at 58 just outwardly of the openings 56, as most clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. In order to assemble the hanger element 48 to frame 12, it is simply necessary to spread apart the arms 52 sufficiently so that first one leg 54 may be hooked through an opening 56 and then the other leg 54 is hooked through the opposite opening 56, whereupon the inherent resilience of the arms 52 will then cause the arms to close with respect to each other, thus maintaining the legs 54 in hooked relation beneath that portion of wall 24 that is located between the openings 56. It will be understood that the looped eye 50 will impart a spring-like resilience to the arms 52, thus normally biasing them to their closed position, while at the same time enabling the arms to be spread apart during the aforedescribed assembly process. It will readily be seen that when it is desired to disassemble one of the hangers 48, the arms 52 will once again spread apart sufficiently for the legs 54 to clear the edges of openings 56 whereupon the hanger may be upwardly removed. When the hanger 48 is assembled in the aforedescribed manner, the eye 50 functions to receive a hook or nail or the like for effecting the suspension of the blackboard 10. Preferably the end Wall 24 of each strip of frame 12 is provided with two pairs of openings 56, whereupon two hangers 48 may be employed for effecting a more secure and balanced suspension of the blackboard. Actually, it is only necessary that one of the longer strips of frame 12 and one of the shorter strips have the aforedescribed openings 56 formed therein, but for convenience of manufacture, it may be more feasible from an economic standpoint to form the openings in all of the strips. It has been found that the depressions 58 greatly facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the hangers 48 to the frame 12,

' since without these depressions, some difliculty is experienced in effecting the aforedescribed assembly. Here again, the ease of assembly and disassembly of the hangers 48 with respect to the blackboard 10 is advantageous in that the blackboard may be suspended either with its longer edges horizontally disposed or vertically disposed. Also, if it is not desired to suspend the blackboard 10, then, of course, the hangers 48 would not be employed and there would then be no unsightly hooks or hangers to detract from the appearance of the assembly. Another very decided advantage of the aforedescribed suspension means is the fact that the hangers 48 are actually forwardly spaced with respect to the rear surface of the blackboard 10. This results in better suspension of the blackboard since the rear surface of the board will more closely abut the vertical surface on which the assembly is suspended than would be the case where the suspension means are secured to the rear surface of the board, as is the most conventional arrangement. Also, the aforedescribed suspension means eliminates the necessity of using screws or the like for attaching the hanger elements to the rear surface of the blackboard or the blackboard frame, thus eliminating alignment problems and the like which are incident to conventional mountings of this type;

While there is shown and described herein certain spe cific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying mVe n tive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: p

1. In a blackboard or the like, a board member, a frame secured to at least a portion of the edge of said board member, and a tray detachably secured to said frame and extending substantially perpendicular from the plane of said board, said frame and said tray having complementary portions for enabling said tray to be snapreceived by said frame but at the same time permitting said tray to move slidably along said frame, said frame comprising a channel having spaced front and rear walls snugly receiving said board edge therebetween, said front wall having a transversely and forwardly extending bead adjacent its bottom and said rear wall having a trans versely and rearwardly extending bead spaced above its bottom, said channel further comprising an end wall interconnecting said front and rear walls, the rear edge of said end wall being rounded, said tray having a longitudinal upwardly and rearwardly extending rib adapted to snap over said front bead and an upwardly and rearwardly extending wall having an inturned lip at its up er edge, said lip being adapted to snap over said rear bead, the junction of said wall and said tray being rounded to conform to the rounded rear edge of said frame end wall.

2. In a blackboard or the like, a board member, a frame extending around the periphery thereof, said frame comprising a channel having spaced front and rear walls snugly receiving the edge of said board therebetween,

said channel further comprising an end wall joining said front and rear walls, means in said channel maintaining said end wall in spaced relation to the edge of said board, and means for vertically suspending said board and frame assembly, said means comprising a pair of spaced openings in said end wall, and a hanger element comprising an elongated wire looped at its upper portion to provide an eye and having a pair of divergent arms extending downwardly from opposite sides of said eye and terminat ing in a pair of inturned legs, each of which extends through one of said openings and hooks inwardly beneath said end wall, said arms at their divergent lower ends being normally spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the spacing between said openings, saidrlooped eye imparting resilience to said arms whereby they may be resiliently spread apart to facilitate assembly and disassembly of said hanger to said frame.

"3. The blackboard of claim 2 further characterized inthat the surface of said end wall just outwardly of said openings is depressed to facilitate assembly and disas-- sembly .of said hanger.

4. In a blackboard or the like, a rectangular board member, a frame extending completely around the periphery thereof, said frame comprising a channel having spaced front and rear walls snugly receiving said board edge therebetwecn and an end wall joining said front and rear walls, said front wall having a forwardly extending bead adjacent its junction with said end wall, and said rear wall having a rearwardly extending bead spaced from its junction with said end wall, both of said beads extending completely around said frame, the rear edge of said end wall being gently rounded, and a tray detachably secured to said frame and extending substantially perpendicular from the plane of said board, the length of said tray being less than the length of any edge of said board, said tray having a longitudinal upwardly and rearwardly extending rib adapted to snap over said front bead and an upwardly and rearwardly extending wall having an inturned lip at its upper edge, said lip being 10 adapted to snap over said rear bead, thus detachably and slidably securing said tray to said frame, the junction of said wall and said tray being rounded to conform to the rounded rear edge of said frame end wall.

5. The blackboard of claim 4 further characterized in that means are provided in said frame for maintaining said channel end wall in spaced relation to the edge of said board, and means for vertically suspending said board and frame assembly, said means comprising a pair of spaced openings in said end Wall, and a hanger element comprising an elongated wire looped at its upper portion to provide an eye and having a pair of divergent arms extending downwardly from opposite sides of said eye and terminating in a pair of inturned legs, each of which extends through one of said openings and hooks inwardly beneath said end wall, said arms at their divergent lower ends being normally spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the spacing between said openings, said looped eye imparting resilience to said arms whereby they may be resiliently spread apart to facilitate assembly and disassembly of said hanger to said frame, the surface of said frame just outwardly of said openings being depressed to further facilitate assembly and disassembly of said hanger.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1939 Hurt 35-29 10/1942 Elnett 35-63 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,528 1904 Great Britain.

6/1964 France.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. H. S. SKOGQUIST, Examiner. 

